by O. Rose
It was surreal to be examined that way.
“You’re stunning,” Adam said and Holly wondered for a moment if he could read her mind. The next second, however, her mind was in free fall as he moved to stand before her. He released her hand and pulled her into his chest, shot his brother a look, and Levi let go of their date with a warning glare. “Dance with me,” was Adam’s request and she had no chance to refuse.
Swaying was not the same as dancing, but she wasn’t going to comment; she’d never danced as far as she could remember and the audience made her self-conscious.
“Levi’s gone to Olwen,” he whispered in her ear, took the opportunity to plant another kiss.
“Listen,” she muttered. “Don’t do that if you-”
“If I don’t mean it? Do you think I don’t mean it?” His voice was rough, eyes dark; the atmosphere around them grew tense and everything fell away. Holly couldn’t hear the sounds of the party anymore, she didn’t notice as rustling speech bloomed. She couldn’t make a sound, move a muscle, as his mouth captured hers.
Lashes fluttered, hands shook. Her heart stuttered as he gripped her waist; one hand traveled up her side, to loop around her back and massage exposed skin. His teeth grazed her lip, a tiny bite that made her gasp, and his tongue invaded her mouth. Holly gripped his lapel, her hands slid behind his neck and he lifted her off the ground, into his arms.
When Adam lowered her to the floor, back to stone wall and outside the ballroom, he had no intention of ending the intimate moment, but he felt his brother’s approach and urgency in his posture.
His gaze lingered on Holly when he broke away, all flushed cheeks and heaving chest, Levi was captivated as well; forever the more prudent he jerked his head in the direction of the room they were to meet Olwen in and Adam left their love to his brother.
When Holly was able to open her eyes again she knew Adam was gone, replaced by Levi. They carried a stark difference, unmistakable. She could never put it into words though.
She saw the way he avoided looking at her and her first instinct was shame, but she knew that wasn’t his intention. In an act of shocking boldness she reached for him, put her hands on his face and made him turn his head. Even then she hesitated for a moment, but it wasn’t fear that stilled her, it was embarrassment, but she refused to be held hostage to that.
She gave him her second kiss and it was different than the one shared with Adam. Passionate in another way; she had more confidence and despite Levi’s reserved nature, once invited he utterly consumed her.
His taste was different too, less sweet. A comparison she noted in a hazy sort of way.
He put his mouth to her neck, sucked and bit. Made her gasp and whimper, eyes slid shut again and unconsciously she shifted, trying to be closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gripped tightly.
But that was it. He gently undid her hold on him, pulled her into his chest and said, “The days we spend together will end on happier notes than this.”
She was still panting as she asked, “What do you mean?”
His sigh was frustrated. “There’s been a complication. With Olwen. You need to see it to understand. Please understand she is hurt, but-”
Holly didn’t allow him to finish as she launched away, all emotion and little logic. Swinging from one extreme to another she flung herself to a doorway cracked open, but the sight was horrific.
Bile rose in her throat, it was the most hellish scene she’d ever laid eyes on. There were parts. Stained scarlet. Little rivers.
Olwen was unrecognizable in death.
Holly flew around again, into Levi’s chest because she couldn’t stand to see it.
“Charity has the book.”
Without turning Holly asked, voice shaking as she tried to swallow what threatened to be expelled, “Why would she take it?”
“To make me get it back, I’d think. She must have overheard us.”
Silence fell for a minute and then Levi said, “She isn’t dead.”
“How could she not-”
“She isn’t. There is no death for us. Even if we run after it, it will flee. The body will heal in time. Now, Adam is putting the pieces closer together to hurry the process.”
A horrible squelch confirmed things were being rearranged.
“I don’t want the book that badly!”
“It isn’t a matter of that anymore,” Levi said, hands resting on her shoulders. “You know Olwen wrote to us, to setup the drop off ahead of time. You didn’t read her letter. It may be no harm to you, but the book seems to have some kind of personality. How could you forget something taken from your mother’s tomb? Why did it call to Olwen, telling her to open it?”
Slowly, she raised her head, “It did that?”
“She said so and she resisted, but-”
“Charity won’t resist,” Adam broke in angrily. “She might be too caught up in waiting for me to notice at first and maybe that book,” he paused and grumbled, vexed. “I don’t know! With any luck it won’t be able to get through to her before I do.”
Holly heard the threat in his tone, but tried to ignore it. There was another pressing matter. “What do we do now though? Olwen has children waiting for her to come home! I mean, there should be a sitter for tonight, but we can’t leave them not knowing where she is or when she’ll be back!”
Levi sighed. “I’ll have it reported to them that she suffered a minor accident. That she’s in the hospital for a brief observation period, but expected to return shortly. This, her reconstruction, shouldn’t take long.”
Holly nodded, at least that was one thing taken care of. “But, what about Charity?”
“When I get my hands on her she won’t be seeing the light of day again,” Adam growled.
“She committed a grave error,” Levi confirmed. “It means she would murder if given the chance, if she thought it would get her what she wants.”
Holly recalled the things Adam told her, about their roles in this society, and supposed he meant this. Putting dangerous people, people who would never die and might have some kind of power, away forever.
This would be their responsibility.
Chapter Thirty-Five
She was running on a high unlike one she’d ever known. Power. She never had power. She was powerless, swept along, pushed away. She had no money, her looks weren’t good enough to use for much.
That bitch had power over Adam and this book was hers; did she get her power from the book?
It wouldn’t open. There was no lock to break and shouting profanities at it didn’t work, but she would find a way to read it.
She would take Adam back, gain his brother too, and find a way to kill those who were supposed to live forever. The little black-haired whore, greedy homewrecker, would die.
But first, Charity would kill her own mother.
She just had to remember who that was.
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